LITTLETON — As soon as he stepped foot inside the gym at Heritage High School on Thursday, the hugs and high-fives started pouring in for Austin Mueller.
You only had to see the Wyoming basketball T-shirt — and the accompanying grin — to know why.
“Everybody has been really excited for me,” said Mueller, the 6-foot-6 ThunderRidge senior-to-be who verbally committed to play at Wyoming on Wednesday. “They know I’m going to a great program, a great place. I’m really excited.”
Mueller, who helped lead the Grizzlies to a runner-up finish in the Class 5A state tournament in March, is the latest Denver-area player to be plucked by coach Larry Shyatt and the Cowboys, who are coming off a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The Wyoming staff offered Mueller, a versatile “stretch 4” forward with shooting range that extends past the 3-point line, during the live recruiting period in April. After heading to Laramie for an unofficial visit, Mueller also toured Northeastern and the University of Denver, but Wyoming always stuck out as the perfect fit.
“People always told me about the recruiting process that you’ll know when you know,” said Mueller, who was at Heritage to play for ThunderRidge in the Continental vs. Centennial summer tournament. “I love the coaches. I got to meet the players yesterday, and they had everything positive to say about the program. I just kind of knew.”
One of Mueller’s teammates at Wyoming will be Austin Conway, the freshman Cowboys point guard who helped Overland win the state title over Mueller and ThunderRidge in March.
“I talked to him (Wednesday),” Mueller said, chuckling at the exchange. “First thing he said to me was, ‘Are you still mad about it?’ But it will be fun. He’s a great guy.”
ThunderRidge believes Wyoming is getting a complete player.
“He’s a great competitor,” said ThunderRidge coach Joe Ortiz, who has been told by college assistants that they’ve seen shades of NBA marksman Kyle Korver in Mueller. “And he’s a great shooter. He’s fearless and he shoots it quick. They describe him as a stretch 4, a big who can stretch the floor, and he’s athletic. He’s versatile, he’s tough and he’s a leader. He just brings it all.”
Nick Kosmider: 303-954-1516, nkosmider@denverpost.com or
